Page 234 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9–12 | Classical Studies and International Languages

THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9–12 | Classical Studies and International Languages
exeunt. Plural form of exit. A term used in drama.
fresco. A painting, including a mural, made with watercolour on fresh, wet plaster on a wall or ceiling.
genitive absolute. A grammatical construction in ancient Greek that typically consists of a participle and noun in the genitive case. The construction corresponds to the Latin ablative absolute.
grammatical structures. See language structures in the general glossary.
haruspex. In ancient Rome, a minor priest who practised divination by inspecting the entrails of sacrificed animals.
historiography. The writing of history; the study of written history; the body of written history on a particular topic.
imperative. The mood of a verb that is used to express a command.
indicative. The mood of a verb that is used to express a simple statement of fact.
keystone. The central wedge-shaped stone that sits at the top of an arch and locks the other stones in place.
Lares and Penates. In classical Roman religion, the protective household spirits and gods.
lyric poetry. A literary form that expresses the poet’s emotions. Lyric poems in ancient Greek and Latin were based on metrical criteria rather than on rhyme. In ancient Greece, poetry was often accompanied by a stringed instrument,
or lyre.
material culture. The physical objects and architecture produced by a culture. The term is used in archaeology.
metaphysics. The branch of philosophy that explores the fundamental nature of reality and the world.
monotheism. The belief in a single god. See also polytheism, pagan.
mosaic. An image, such as a picture or a repeated pattern, made by arranging small coloured pieces of stone, tile, glass, or another hard material.
mystery religion. One of a variety of cults in the Roman Empire that were organized around secret rites performed by their adherents.
natural philosophy. A term used for the study of nature before modern science was developed.
numen. In ancient Rome, a numen was a divinity, spirit, or deity linked to a particular place. Numina is the plural.
onomatopoeia. The use of a word having a sound that suggests its meaning (e.g., splash, murmur, buzz, twitter).
ontology. The branch of metaphysics that is concerned with the study of the nature of existence or being.
optative. The mood of a verb in ancient Greek that is used to express a wish or hope. It is closely related to the subjunctive mood.
pagan. One who follows a polytheistic or nature- worshipping religion, as opposed to one who follows a monotheistic religion (e.g., Christianity, Judaism, Islam). See also polytheism, monotheism.
paradigm. In Latin and ancient Greek, the case endings for a specific class of nouns or the endings indicating tense, mood, and voice for a specific conjugation of verbs; a chart indicating such endings. In rhetoric, a story, parable, or fable that is used to illustrate a point.
Parentalia. In ancient Rome, an annual festival to honour one’s ancestors, held in February.
partitive genitive. A particular usage of the genitive case in which the genitive denotes the whole of which a part is taken.
patronage. In the classical world, financial or other support or protection given by a person, known as a patron or patronus, to another person of inferior social status, known as a client or cliens.
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